Organ recipient and donor meet for very first time

Two families are celebrating the gift of life, 25 years after an organ donation.

El Pasoan Ophelia Cheslik’s two-year-old son died in a tragic accident, but the family made the life saving choice to donate his liver to a sick little girl named Valencia. Valencia is now 27-years-old and a mother of her own.

On Sunday, Valencia waited anxiously in a hotel lobby to meet the family that gave her a second chance at life. Then finally, for the very first time, after over two decades, they hugged and shed lots of tears.

Ophelia said her son Anthony accidentally strangled himself when he was only two years old. But his liver was given to Valencia, who at 7-months-old, suffered from a rare liver disease and was given only 2 weeks to live.

“As a mother, I can relate to her on a mom to mom basis,” Valencia said. “This means a lot to me, this means my whole life because they made the decision to donate their son’s organs, I’m here. So I’m so happy I’m getting the chance to tell them thank you.”